Kids: Knight's Tale
by DD42
Summary: He is more than just a Celestial Spirit. He is a warrior-sworn to do his master's bidding when they call upon him in their hour of need. The Past, the Present, and the Future collide as this lone spirit finds himself pitted against an evil that will stop at nothing…to kill us all. He is far from alone, however. (Multi-Pairing)*RATING MAY CHANGE*
1. Chapter 1

_**Kids: Knight's Tale**_

A/N: Hello everyone and welcome to my third full-scale fanfic. It's been a while hasn't it? For those of you who are not familiar with me, I welcome you and hope you enjoy the first of many chapters to come. For those of you who are familiar with me, I welcome you to another adventure into the Fairy Tail fan universe.

As the title implies, I proudly present to you; Kids: Knight's Tale.

Back in September of 2013, I published my first fanfic story, "Kids". This story, is a companion story to that one but focuses on the Celestial Spirit I created called "Knight." Knight, although a supporting character, caught the interest of some of my readers. I really didn't expand on his back story until I found myself towards the ending of Kids. But, I began to draw up plans to write a story that further expanded on that character. This story is the result. It's taken me a while to get to this point, but here we are.

For those of you who have read Kids then the same rules apply for this story; Multi-pairing, AU, and multiple OC's (you have been warned!).

I don't expect you to immediately know what's going on or know who Knight is. This will be covered in the course of the chapter but if you haven't read Kids yet, I suggest you do that first until you turn your attention to this. If you have read Kids already, then you should know what's going on and how this may play out. Or you can disregard those two options and jump right on in; your choice! Expect the characters from the previous story to return as well!

Now, I think I should let you guys know that I decided to redesign Knight's appearance and make some changes to the overall plot of Kids. Nothing major, except for Knight's look and who his voice sounds like, but I decided to mend some plot points here and there or add on in some cases.

As always, I hope you will give your honest opinion with your review and if you have any questions regarding this story feel free to ask in your review or you can send me a PM which I will either reply to in the next chapter or respond to ASAP. Just please don't be too harsh with your criticisms…there's only so much a guy can take.

_**DISCLAIMER:**_ I do not own Fairy Tail; Hiro Mashima and Kodansha Comics USA own it. If I did own Fairy Tail…well let's just say some things would be different. If any of my OC's in some way shape or form resemble or share a relation to someone living or deceased, it's purely coincidental.

So…I think that covers everything. Have I stalled long enough? Yep!? Well then ladies and gentlemen; shall we begin?

XXXX

DESCRIPTION: He is more than just a Celestial Spirit. He is a warrior-sworn to do his master's bidding when they call upon him in their hour of need. He is the last Celestial Paladin; Knight. The Past, the Present, and the Future collide as this lone spirit finds himself pitted against an evil that will stop at nothing…to kill us all. He is far from alone, however.

XXXX

CHAPTER 1: Once upon a time…

XXXX

These stories, as they often seem to, tend to start out with four simple words; _once upon a time_…

…

_**X396: Two years after the end of the Dragon Civil War; The Celestial Spirit World….**_

The Celestial Spirit world glowed in its usual, but radiant, saturated mix of color, starlight and the infinite cosmos that surrounded it.

The world was a divine mystery in every aspect of the word. It was forbidden to humans…but well known to those that called it home.

The Celestial Spirits and their Spirit King.

They are seemingly ageless magical beings that represent the constellations of the zodiac and wield extraordinary power that has given them the mantles of the defenders of both the supernatural and human realms. With the ability to make contracts with certain humans, the spirits can pass in between realms at their master's call and assist in any task whether it be a challenging chore or battle, when the need arises.

But… there was, at one time, another less known but equally, if not more powerful echelon of the Celestial Spirits.

The Guardians and Warriors of the Spirit Realm; the Celestial Paladins.

The divine protectors of the Spirit King himself.

This group of spirits were charged with defending the Spirit King and act as watchmen in the human realm. If the King ordered it so, they were tasked to enforce the laws of the Spirit Realm upon those who sought to exploit or break the bond that had been forged between the two worlds. And there were terrifying consequences for those who dared to oppose the might of a Paladin.

They were the elite, the best of the best, and everyone knew it; both humans and spirits alike.

But…once, where there had been twelve, only one remained.

In the hell that had been the Dragon Civil War, eleven Paladins had given their lives in battle; they had sacrificed their souls and keys rather than forsake their duty to the Spirit King and their masters.

And now, with the war two years over, the last Paladin found himself alone…in a sense.

Currently, this lone Paladin stood in a grassy field that offered what could only be described as an astonishing view of the realm before him.

He was tall, at least six feet-three inches, with broad shoulders and toned physique. He wore a polished, gunmetal grey armor set that covered his chest, torso, shoulders, forearms, thighs, and shins. To the casual observer, the armor would appear to be heavy and cumbersome. But upon closer inspection, one would see that the armor was actually contoured in some places and streamlined in others so that the wearer had maximum joint articulation and ease of movement. The armor was also painted a unique shade of aquamarine blue which was set in a trim around the armor pieces. On his right shoulder, a crimson number decorated the metal; a zero with a diagonal slash through it. However, the faint remnants of the number seven could still be seen despite its faded appearance.

At his hip, sheathed but at the ready, was an intricate but sturdily made claymore broadsword. Attached to his left arm was a shield of medium width and length, designed to protect all who brought it to bear.

Beneath the armor, he wore a white, baggy tunic which was tucked/supported by a belt, into a pair of baggy, slate grey slacks. A cape, colored that of freshly fallen snow with a blue interior, hung from the clasps on his shoulders and fluttered gently in the ever present breeze. A pair of armored gauntlets and boots completed the assembly of armor.

The only truly exposed area of the spirit seemed to be his head…but at the same time it wasn't, considering he wore a mask. He had natural, light grey hair that was kept short but spikey while he had grown his hair out at the base of his skull to the point where he could comfortably pull into an equally spikey but short pony tail. His ears, which were exposed, had two silver, but simple bands pierced onto them. His exposed skin, which only constituted for his ears and neck, had a dark but healthy tan.

Last was the mask-a flat but angular, bone white creation of ceramic that hugged its wearer's face. A single, "V" shaped visor parted the mask where the Paladin's eyes glowed a dull blue from behind the protection the mask offered. Three blue slanted, tightly spaced, bars trailed down the cheekbones.

All of these features had combined to form the Last Celestial Paladin.

And his name was simple but most deserving of his rank and title: Knight.

Knight closed his eyes and tilted his head back slightly as he let the breeze brush over his exposed skin, breathing deeply in through his nose. He always came to this spot to think or put his mind at ease whenever he felt troubled or needed to clear his mind. His left hand slowly closed into a fist but Knight willed it to open up again.

He wished his brothers were still around…he needed their counsel at this point in what had so far been his very long life. A chill ran through the veins in his arm but he ignored it.

Knight sighed and looked down at his hand as he flexed his fingers. A slight rustling reached his ears and Knight let a small smile form on his lips as he slightly looked over his shoulder.

"_Clever…"_ Knight thought, _"but not clever enough."_

He knew who was trying to sneak up on him but he acted like he hadn't noticed them.

Crawling in the tall grass just a slight distance away, a young boy who was between six and seven years old, kept low to the ground. He was lithe in frame with just the slightest hint of muscle beginning to form on his shoulders and arms. His spikey, light grey hair contrasted with his dark tanned skin and tattoo's that framed his dark eyes. He wore a grey sleeveless shirt, baggy black slacks and was barefoot. The boy couldn't help the excited grin that broke out on his face.

He had the drop on his target now!

With the mightiest cry that he could manage, the boy sprang forth from his hiding place and leapt high into the air.

"HYYYAAAA!" The boy cried out.

Knight waited until the boy was almost on top of him before he quickly spun around and kneeled, letting the boy pass over him. The boy let out a surprised cry before he tumbled onto the ground. After taking a moment to reorient himself, the boy sprung into a crouched stance-his grin showing that he was undeterred by Knight's move. The boy sprung forth while Knight was still crouched and tackled the warrior with a grunt. Knight let out a playful grunt in return and the two soon found themselves rolling on the ground as the boy began to laugh in amusement. But soon enough, Knight rose and held the boy off the ground by the scruff of his shirt.

"Aw man!" The boy complained as he crossed his arms and pouted, "How did you know I was there?"

Knight chuckled.

"You had a sound plan trying to sneak up on me like that but you need to be aware of your environment. One wrong move, like rustling the brush, can easily tip an aware enemy off to your presence." Knight said as he set the boy down on his feet. His voice had a slight metallic ring to it courtesy of his mask.

"Still, you've improved greatly since last time," Knight said, "I am very proud of you Takeshi."

The boy, Takeshi, let a wide grin spread on his face as he hugged Knight's leg.

"Thanks dad." Takeshi said.

Knight gently ruffled Takeshi's hair before taking one last look around the area.

"Why are you out here anyway? Shouldn't you be at home with your mother?"

"You always come here when you're done training so I thought I could sneak up on you." Takeshi said.

Knight chuckled gently and looked to sky.

"Keep practicing my son, keep practicing." Knight said before slowly cracking his neck.

"I do suppose we should head back, your mother is probably wondering where you ran off to and why I'm still out here." Knight said.

"Do we have to?" Takeshi said, "I like it when we come out here."

"We'll come back another time, I promise." Knight said as he changed his appearance in a quick flash of light.

His armor had disappeared and he now stood in a white, half sleeve button down shirt that was open to reveal a grey, long-sleeved undershirt. He still wore his slacks and boots however, and his mask had disappeared as well-leaving Knight's face unveiled. Also revealed by the transformation was a necklace that hung low form Knight's neck; a simple but pearl white sea shell.

He had almond shaped eyes that glowed a radiant blue, thin lips, a straight nose and had a thin, oval shaped face that squared out at the chin.

Knight smiled at Takeshi before scooping the boy up and letting him sit on his shoulders as Takeshi rested his arms atop his father's head.

"Dad?" Takeshi asked as Knight began to walk at mild pace, his stride easily covering the ground.

"Hmm?" Knight said.

"Are you okay?" Takeshi asked.

"Yes…why?" Knight answered, his tone inquisitive.

"I don't know. You felt weird for a second but now you don't." Takeshi answered.

"…I'm fine. Don't worry." Knight replied, his tone reassuring.

"_So…he can sense it too?"_ Knight thought, _"His ability to sense changes in magic is rapidly progressing."_

The father and son were quiet for a while, the two of them having drifted into a comfortable silence.

"Dad?" Takeshi asked again.

"Yes?" Knight said, a small smile forming on his lips.

"You're really cool." Takeshi replied.

Knight chuckled deeply in response.

It wasn't long before Knight's boots were echoing off stone as the field gave way to a long winding path. The path stopped at the edge of where the land ended, which in turn revealed to be a floating island in the void of the Spirit world. Knight did not stop as he approached the edge, for as his foot came down unto what would seemingly have been a suicidal drop, a series of stone bricks formed beneath his boot. A pathway rapidly formed before him with each step and soon enough Knight had crossed the bridge and had stepped onto a circular platform.

The platform was large and was made from a bright crystal that glowed in the light. A series of interconnected pillars formed a semi-circle around the perimeter of the platform while a stairway of the same material led up to a series of three smaller platforms above. From one platform, two waterfalls majestically fell as the crystal clear water gleamed in the light. The first water fall landed on the main platform in a deep pool that never seemed to overflow while the second waterfall fell to the infinity below.

It was a beautiful display but most importantly, it was home.

"Katsumi," Knight called out as he set Takeshi down from his shoulders, "we're back."

From within the pool before them, a woman emerged from the water as she tossed her hair back. The water pooled beneath her feet for only a moment before she quickly dried off thanks to her homes magic.

"There you are," the woman, Katsumi, said as she gave Takeshi a pointed look, "I was wondering where you ran off to."

Takeshi smiled sheepishly as he rubbed the back of his head.

"Me and dad were just playin' again," Takeshi said, "he even said I got better since last time."

"Is that so?" Katsumi said as she reached Knight and stood up on the tips of her toes to plant a gentle kiss on his lips.

"Welcome back." She said gently.

Knight smiled as he kissed Katsumi's forehead and took a moment to look over his wife.

She was of medium height with a slim but curvaceous body. Her dark hair that reached the middle of her back while she kept the front in a bun, thus allowing two long strands of hair to frame her face and shoulders. Her dark eyes were framed by tattoo's that were similar to her son's while a small crown with a gem and fin like attachments adorned it from beneath her hair. A sleeveless but revealing top made of what seemed to be scales, hugged her figure and breasts while leaving her stomach and naval exposed. A pair of pants in equal fashion hugged her legs and stopped just below her knees. A pair of open toed heels completed the look.

"It's always good to be back." Knight said as he rested his forehead against his wife's while his right hand moved to gently hold her hip and pull her close.

Takeshi made a gagging noise which in turn made Katsumi snicker.

"Ew," Takeshi groaned, "Mama, Dad, you two are being gross again." Takeshi complained.

"This is what grownups do all the time when they get married son." Knight replied as he looked over at the young spirit.

"One day when you find a woman who loves you, you two will do the same."

"Blegh, no way!" Takeshi replied, sticking his tongue out in disgust.

Knight chuckled as he and Katsumi gently broke away.

"That's enough now," Katsumi said, "We are to join the other spirits soon for dinner, so why don't you two wash up before we head out."

"Will Mr. Loke be there with Mr. Taurus and Scorpio?" Takeshi asked.

"I'm sure they will be, I don't think they can be summoned today." Katsumi replied.

"Cool!" Takeshi said before running up the nearby stairs. Katsumi wasn't far behind when she noticed Knight had yet to leave his spot. Katsumi frowned.

"Knight…honey, is everything alright?" Katsumi asked.

Knight blinked once and then twice before shaking his head to clear his thoughts.

"Yes…yes, I just spaced out there for a moment. I will be with you shortly."

Katsumi gave a hesitant nod and made her way up the stairs.

Knight followed his wife with his eyes before looking down at his left hand again. The chill was back, this time spreading up from his palm and into his elbow.

His hand had closed into a fist again.

XXXX

Knight leaned against a pillar that supported the grand hall where the spirits conveyed. His back was turned and his arms were crossed as he looked at the realm beyond. Despite his disinterested appearance, Knight kept his ears tuned to the conversation around him…that way if anyone was talking to him, he wouldn't appear to be ignoring them.

Knight sighed gently and looked over his shoulder to the assembled spirits.

Every spirit, whether they be of silver key or gold key, assembled at this hour to converse and enjoy the company of their fellow spirits. Knight himself had never been much of a social butterfly and preferred to hang back rather than be the focus of attention.

Knight felt something tugging at his pant leg and looked down to see a white, carrot nosed dog looking up at him, a very large lollipop jammed in its mouth.

"Puun-puun?" The dog asked after it pulled the lollipop out with a loud "pop".

Knight smiled and kneeled down to scratch the dog on the head.

"No, Plue, I am having a good time. I'm just not that sociable, that's all."

"Puun-puun?" Plue asked.

"No, I'm not turning into a wall flower…it's just who I am that's all."

"Puun-puun?"

Knight's lips drew slightly thin but he did his best to not let it show.

"Plue, I assure you, I'm fine. What gave you that idea?"

Before the dog could respond, a voice called out over the din.

"Dad! Hey dad, come check this out!" Knight heard Takeshi call out before seeing his son wave to him.

"I have to go now, don't worry about me okay?" Knight said to Plue.

"Puun-puun!" Plue said before snapping to salute and popping his lollipop back in his mouth.

After navigating the crowds, Knight soon approached his son.

"Yes Takeshi?" Knight said as his son gave him a beaming smile and held up his hands, in which he now grasped what appeared to be some sort of spear or polearm with the Celestial Spirit emblem affixed to it.

"Where did you get that?" Knight asked as he procured the weapon. It wasn't the full sized version of its parent design but an adaptation for a boy of Takeshi's height and frame.

"I did." A voice said and Knight looked to see Taurus approach him and his son.

"Taurus." Knight said pleasantly as he nodded his head in greeting only for Taurus to jovially slap him on the shoulder. Knight nearly lost his footing and Takeshi snickered.

"I figured it was time for the booooy to have something to practice with." Taurus said, his tone dragging the "o" out in his sentences.

"And what gave you that idea?" Knight said as he examined the weapon, spinning it intricately around his hands and testing the weight.

"I figured since you have that fancy sword of yours, the boy deserved a chance to hold his ooooown when it came to sparring with yooooou." Taurus said as Knight handed the pole back to Takeshi.

Knight blinked before fixing Taurus with a sly smile.

"…You're still upset from our last spar, that's the real reason correct? You want my son to have a chance at beating me considering all the times you've lost to me?" Knight said as Taurus flinched visibly.

"That's not fair!" Taurus said as he pointed his finger at Knight.

"Can't I just be nice to the son of goooood friend!? And that last spar doesn't' count in any way!" Taurus said in protest.

Takeshi was laughing up a storm and Knight simply shook his head, a small smile on his face.

"Keep telling yourself that Taurus." Knight said, putting his hands on his hips.

"What are you boys up to now?" Katsumi said as she walked over to Knight and Takeshi.

"Oh," Knight said, "the usual. Taurus is denying that he lost a spar and Takeshi has received a new toy."

Katsumi raised an eyebrow as Takeshi proudly held up his spear. Katsumi let out sigh but gently ruffled her son's hair.

"You boys and your toys…honestly." Katsumi sighed as Knight gently wrapped his arm around her waist.

"You know you love us." Knight said as Katsumi sighed in a good natured manner.

"At times I question my sanity for agreeing with you." Katsumi said only to giggle when Knight gently squeezed her hip.

Takeshi groaned and rolled his eyes.

"You two are being gross again!" Takeshi pouted.

Before Knight could reply with a witty remark for his son, his body suddenly became rigid as if it were locking up. He inhaled sharply as the fingers of his left hand curled in a claw like manner.

Knight let out a pained grunt as his eyes began to widen in what appeared to be a mixture of pain and horror.

"Knight…what's wrong?" Katsumi asked in concern as she turned to look at her husband.

"Dad?" Takeshi asked in concern, the slightest twinge of fear entering his voice.

The veins in Knight's arm began to appear in a sickly shade of black, like ink diluting in water. Knight gasped in pain as he clutched his arm. It felt like his veins were flowing with ice water while the ice itself was digging into him…gnawing away.

Knight pushed himself away from Katsumi and stumbled back, his teeth bared and gritted in what appeared to be excruciating pain.

"Knight!?" Katsumi said in panic, her cry drawing the attention of the assembled spirits.

Knight held his good hand out in warning.

"S-stay…s-stay away!" Knight said as he continued to back away.

"Knight, what's wrong!?" Katsumi pleaded with her husband only for Knight to stumble out of the hall as fast as he could. Katsumi hesitated for only a second before following.

She found Knight outside on the walkway, on his knees and bent over in pain. His right hand continued to grip his left arm as he continued to shake and grunt in pain.

"Stop…"Knight hissed, "Stop it."

"Knight?" Katsumi said as she approached her husband, albeit cautiously.

Knight didn't seem to hear her as his left arm began to tremble.

"I said…" Knight hissed, "_stop_."

It took a minute, but the trembling of his arm subsided and Knight was left to pant raggedly on the cool stones of the walkway. The black ichor that had stained his veins was gone. But Knight continued to clutch his arm with a death grip.

"Knight?" Katsumi said, drawing closer to Knight. His ragged breathing was her only response.

"Knight," Katsumi said as she knelt down, "Knight, let go. You'll hurt yourself."

Her fingers touched her husbands and Knight flinched at the contact, his eyes locking with hers in panic and confusion. But what struck Katsumi the most about how Knight looked at her was the underlying fear that filled his eyes. It wasn't her he was afraid of though; it was himself.

"Knight," Katsumi said, her tone still even but gentle, "please…let go."

Knight looked from his wife to his hand before slowly uncurling it from his forearm. Knight stifled what seemed to be a cry of either desperation or fear as Katsumi wrapped her arms around him.

"It's getting worse," Knight whispered, "it's getting worse."

Katsumi moved her hands so that they were framing Knight's face and gently guided his head so that he was looking at her. Fear stricken eyes met tear rimmed ones.

"Knight, what's happening to you? What's wrong?" Katsumi said, her voice cracking slightly.

"I…I don't know." Knight replied.

XXXX

_**The next day; Throne room of the Celestial Spirit King…**_

The throne room where the Celestial Spirit King spent most of his time was as grand as one would expect it to be.

A series of large columned pillars supported the ceiling overhead while a glass skylight allowed the ever present star clusters of the realm to be seen. Set towards the back of the throne room was the throne itself; a large, cushioned chair set made of smoothed stone with a series of steps leading to it. In the center of the room, was what appeared to be a large reflecting pool. However, instead of being composed of water as one would think, the pool acted as a mirror and portal between the Spirit Realm and the Human Realm. Occasionally, the image would "ripple" and change, thus allowing any observer to view any place in the human realm no matter the date or time.

Naturally, the space was titanic in nature, much like the King himself.

Knight however, paid these features no mind. Being one of the elite guardians to the king, he had seen it all before and if Knight was being honest with himself, the throne room had lost a bit of its appeal. Still, he treated it with the respect it deserved and kept any personal opinions to himself.

Currently, the last paladin stood in front of eleven low set marble slabs that seemed to hover off the floor. It was these eleven slabs that Knight directed his silent reverence to, and rightfully so in many regards.

For on these slabs lay an individual sword not so different from the one Knight himself wielded but at the same time, they differed in certain ascetic features. And with each sword, inscribed on a small brass plaque, was a name and numeral.

_I-Epsilon_

_II-Theta_

_III-Rook_

_IV-Shield_

_V-Vandal_

_VI-Bishop_

_VIII-Lance_

_IX-Cross_

_X-Crow_

_XI-Glaive_

_XII-Raven_

All but one name and number was exempt from the assembled swords. Knight lowered his head and absentmindedly rubbed his shoulder where the number on his armor would be. No matter how many times he stood before the names of his fallen brothers, the pain never easily went away.

The Paladins, compared to the other spirits, were young-if only by a hundred years. They were different, however, in terms of their contracts with the humans they were given to. A paladin could only be wielded by two humans who shared either a bond of love or trust with each other. It was this bond from which a paladin drew and enabled him to unleash his devastating power. There was, however, a technicality with this contract between a paladin and his masters that only the spirit could invoke; the right to choose. If a spirit found his masters to be corrupt or their bond to be broken, a paladin could terminate their contract and be returned to the spirit world and await a new master to be assigned to. Rarely, this power was ever used by a paladin but it none the less set them apart from their fellow spirits.

And despite personal and physical differences, each paladin was united by a single, unifying purpose; to protect the Spirit King and uphold the laws of the Spirit realm.

…And they had given their lives to carry out the duty which they held most sacred.

The Dragon Civil War had seen to that.

The Dragon's had proven to be a surprisingly fierce enemy. Sometimes they would attack alone while other times, they would come en masse. The fighting was brutal and chaotic. No mercy or quarter was given. Knight himself had personally killed over fifty-seven dragons during the war but it had cost him two pairs of masters in the process.

And then, slowly, the paladins fell to their foes. Not because they were outmatched but because they were simply overwhelmed. And when a paladin found himself in that situation where there was no escape, where there was no hope for their masters and where there was a chance that their keys would fall into the wrong hands, the Paladins broke their own keys.

Normally, when a celestial spirit mage breaks a key of their choosing as a last desperate measure, the Spirit King himself is called into battle. The mage and the spirits contract is broken but the spirit will live on in the Celestial Spirit World.

However, _when a spirit breaks their own key_, its tad amount to suicide. And when that happens, their soul becomes forfeit…they cease to exist. The sudden release of energy often has devastating effects in turn.

Knight remembered the first time he had seen the results of such an action. It had been Crow who died first. Knight had been too late to aid his brother and by the time he arrived to Crow's location, all that was left was dust and scorched earth, along with the partially vaporized skeletons of fifteen dragons. And then there had been Rook and Bishop. The two had gone out together and their combined destruction destroyed an area of land equivalent to that of a small city.

Knight shuddered at the memories.

His brothers had gone down fighting though…and Knight, the King and the other spirits wouldn't have expected any less from them.

Now, with the war over, Knight found himself alone with all that remained of his brothers; a name and number. It wasn't much, but for Knight, it was enough for him. So long as he had something to remember his brothers by and keep those memories alive, the faux swords and brass plaques would suffice.

"Good afternoon Knight," a booming voice called out, snapping Knight from his thoughts, "I've been expecting you."

Knight turned around to see the Celestial Spirit King, in all his glory, looking down upon him-a smile on his lips. He had been so lost in his thoughts that Knight hadn't noticed his lord's arrival.

"My lord," Knight said as he dropped to one knee, head bow, "Please forgive me. I was lost in thought and unaware of your arrival."

"Rise," The King said, "Knight, you needn't be so formal around me; this is a social visit remember?"

"Forgive me my lord…but as a Paladin, I still must uphold my duty and code of honor to you even if we are meeting cordially."

The King sighed gently but nodded none the less in understanding. Technically, Knight was no longer his guardian; the point of having one around seemed moot now. But, that didn't mean Knight had to forsake all that he had known. It was just a sad quirk that had to be accepted.

"_Loyal to a fault."_ The King thought, _"Even though the other Paladins are gone, he still has managed to hold onto his honor. The others would be proud of their brother."_

The two were silent for a moment before the King motioned for Knight to follow him to the reflecting pool. Soon enough, the two were silently watching the images ripple and change. And for a time, they stayed that way.

"Pisces will need a replacement, they'll be retiring at the end of this decade." The King said, breaking the silence.

"They are?" Knight said, surprised by this revelation, "But they still have so much to give."

"Be that as it may, the war took a lot out of them. She and her sister lost three masters and saw things no one else saw. They haven't really recovered or been the same ever since…and it's affecting their ability as a spirit."

"Can one really blame them?" Knight replied.

"No, I do not," the King replied with a sigh, "but the balance must be maintained."

"Have you thought of any replacements for them?" Knight asked.

"I already have two sprits in mind; your wife and son."

Knight felt his jaw drop.

"What!? Are you serious my lord!?" Knight asked.

"I am. Katsumi is a powerful water spirit and Takeshi will become just as strong as you are as he grows and matures. By the time the decade is over, Takeshi will have become a young man and will be ready for the responsibility of a spirit. They will make and excellent pair."

"I…I am honored," Knight managed to say as a smile formed on his lips, "Oh…Katsumi and Takeshi will be overjoyed to hear about this. When will they be informed?"

"Soon enough I assure you. But for now, they will remain as they are."

Knight nodded in agreement and the two fell back into a comfortable silence.

"The humans are progressing rather nicely wouldn't you agree?" The King suddenly spoke up.

"Aye…it's been two years since the end of the war but here they are, rebuilding what they have lost…and peacefully living with the remaining dragons if I might add." Knight replied.

"They are a resourceful lot, those humans. I imagine that soon enough they will become the masters of their world much like the dragons had been." The King said.

"I hope they can just manage to keep the peace." Knight replied, "I do agree that humans have their strong points my lord…but they are a cunning race of beings. We should both respect and be wary of them."

"…Yes…I suppose your right." The King said.

Knight shifted his feet and crossed his arms.

"Still…when the time comes, I will once again perform my duty and serve a duo of humans of your choosing."

The King looked to Knight, his eyebrow raised and a slight frown on his lips.

"What do you mean of my choosing? What about the pair you serve now?"

Knight lowered his gaze and looked away from his king.

"I…I terminated my contract with them. I found that they were no longer suited for my aid anymore."

"But, you served with them in the closing stages of the war. You told me nothing but good things about those two."

"…I was wrong." Knight simply replied.

The King frowned and looked back to the pool. He was quiet for a minute or two before deciding to speak once more.

"Knight…do you know why you and your brothers were…are, different from the other spirits?"

"My lord?" Knight questioned.

"It's a simple question, don't' be afraid to answer." The King reassured the paladin.

Knight was silent for a moment.

"Is it our right to choose our masters?" Knight replied.

"That is one answer…but there is more to it than that. Your right to choose is a major contributing factor to what sets you apart from your fellow spirits; you are and your brothers were the only ones to have that ability. But you are also unique in the fact that you are able to conceive a child. Your marriage to Katsumi is proof of this. Though it is not unheard of for Celestial Spirits to fall in love and wed, it is rare that a child is conceived from their union. Do you know why that is?"

"…No my lord," Knight said and shook his head, "I can't say that I do."

The King smiled gently.

"Because Knight…even though you don't realize it, you have much more in common with humans than you think."

"Pardon?" Knight said.

"It's true. You see, you and your brothers didn't simply materialize out of existence. You were born…from the souls of fallen human warriors."

Knight froze at this revelation.

"What?" Knight whispered.

"You and the other paladins, are all that remain of some of the most noble and brave human warriors to live before the rule of the dragons. When your past lives died in battle and passed on into the spirit world, I took the opportunity to give your souls a new lease on life. I selected twelve souls who I believed could do more in death than they had in life. Of course I needed to assign you all tasks that were befitting of your nature. You know the rest I would assume?

The point is, however, that it is this connection to humans that allows your free will to remain intact…and why you must have two masters; why two human souls must be as one with each other. Only when the full power of the human spirit merges with your human soul, are you able to use your power. It is this reason why you and Katsumi were able to conceive a child."

The calm and reassuring smile never left the kings face.

"A piece of your soul was given to Katsumi. And a piece of her soul became one with yours. And from that…Takeshi, a new spirit, was born."

Knight felt his knees begin to weaken but he forced himself to stand tall.

"I…I am overwhelmed by this news my lord. I…had no idea…no knowledge of any of this."

"I know Knight and I was planning on telling you all of this at a later date…but I've been forced to change my mind. I figured I should start at the beginning and come clean with you."

"I…I'm not sure I follow my lord?" Knight replied, "Why…why are you telling me all this now?"

The Celestial King took a deep breath as his smile faded, his mouth setting in a tight line. He quickly took on a grim aura.

Knight swallowed hard. He was starting to believe that he was not going to enjoy whatever his King was about to tell him.

"There is even more to this connection with humans and who you are as a Paladin. But I'm afraid that it is something you may not be prepared to hear."

Knight stiffened and slowly let his hands fall to his sides.

"My lord…whatever it is you wish to tell me, please do so…I…I am not afraid."

"_Liar."_ The King thought but knew they were past the point of no return now. He silently regarded Knight for a few, tense minutes.

He then said a one simple word.

"Corruption." The King said, his voice echoing out in the tense silence.

"What?" Knight asked in confusion.

"You can feel it can't you? It started with a pain in your arm didn't it-like ice water flowing through your veins, gnawing away at your body as it spasms in pain?"

Knight unconsciously rubbed his arm and took a step back from the King.

"How…how do you know?" Knight asked.

"Virgo told me of what happened last night at dinner. She spared not detail in her report."

"…Of course she would," Knight said to himself, "but I sense that you know more about this than what she told you."

The King nodded and crossed his arms.

"That is true. Knight, that pain you are feeling is your body and your soul being corrupted. And it is because of your connection to humanity that this has befallen you. But I suspect you knew this already, even though you couldn't understand it."

Knight lowered his head in shame and turned away from the King.

"…At first I paid it no mind. It was a pain that would come and go and I attributed it to the stress of battle. When I returned here, to the Spirit Realm, the pain subsided until I was called for again. But it persisted even after the war ended…and I soon realized there was something more to it when my hand would clench on its own. I realized there was a connection to it…and to my masters."

"You were correct in your assumption Knight," the King said with a nod of his head, "the corruption is tied to you via your masters."

The King let out a despondent sigh and shook his head.

"Because you are connected to humanity in the way you are…you are especially sensitive to the humans you are connected to. You can sense their love, their joy and their passion…but you can also sense their hatred, anger and greed…their lust for power and more. It is one of your few Achilles heels for the power you possess…but it is the most frightening aspect of who and what you are. You probably saw the warning signs didn't you with your masters?"

Knight nodded but kept his back turned.

"I gave them power…the power to fight back and use magic as they had never wielded it before. They grew confident with this power and relished the strength it gave them. I could feel this flow from them and paid it no mind. It had happened before with my previous masters so why should it bother me now? But even when the war ended, they still called upon me to fight and assist in completing tasks…some of them criminal, as I now realize. I could feel their overconfidence build and their greed…oh their greed, begin to stain me like a poison. They wanted more and they knew they could use me for their deeds."

Knight paused and looked to the sky.

"So, five months ago, I terminated my contract and put all that I had done behind me. But even now I can still feel those terrible emotions within me…like an ink stain…like poison. Even now, as we speak, I can feel as if my soul is being stretched thin by something that I can't explain. I feel cold…like one does on the cusp of a terrible event."

The King let out a sad, tired sigh.

"…Then it is just as I feared. It is spreading too far to properly be contained."

"…What will happen to me…if this corruption cannot be stopped?" Knight asked, turning around to face his King.

"I…I'm afraid my lord. I…I don't' want this take over me. I don't want to hurt anyone…I don't want to turn into a monster before the eyes of my family."

The King was silent for a while as he slowly regarded the man before he spoke again.

"…If the corruption succeeds in taking you over...you will fall from grace and become a part of the darkness you swore to fight. You will be a broken shadow of your former self…and will destroyed in the end by my hand or your fellow spirits."

All the color drained from Knight's skin as he inhaled sharply. The image of Katsumi and Takeshi watching his transformation in horror came to the forefront of his mind. He didn't want that…he refused to allow that to come to pass.

"Is there any way for this corruption to be stopped my lord?" Knight asked.

"At this stage…" The King said, "There is not."

Knight's shoulders sagged as he looked at his hands. That hadn't been the response he was hoping for.

"There is, however, another-long term solution for this problem. But when I say long term…I mean it in every possible sense. And it is something I would not idly suggest either, but as of now, your situation warrants it."

Knight was silent for a moment before looking to his King.

"What…what must be done my king?" Knight said, "What must be done to stop the corruption from taking me?"

"Are you sure you can handle what I am about to say?"

"My lord…please…" Knight replied.

And so the King told his paladin what must be done to stop the corruption from spreading and taking over his body and soul. He was brutally honest in his deliverance of this last ditch measure and by the time he was finished, Knight had fallen to his knees in shock, his eyes wide and silently brimming with tears.

"I…I…a-are y-you s-sure that's all that can be done my lord?" Knight managed to stutter out, his voice now hoarse.

"I am sorry Knight. But it is the only option."

"Surely there must be another way!" Knight cried in defiance.

"There isn't," the King replied, "and you now must see why this is a measure of last resort. The alternative to this would be for you to return to the human world…and break your keys."

Knight leaned forward and braced his hands against the floor as his shoulders began to shake.

"I am sorry Knight…but there is no other way. I cannot permit you to be lost to the darkness…to turn against the other spirits. You are too valuable…too important. And I know you would not want Katsumi and Takeshi to see that become of you."

"How…how am I supposed to tell them of this?" Knight croaked.

"By doing this…I'll break their hearts! You're asking me to do the impossible; you're asking me to leave my wife and child; to leave all that I know!"

The two were silent for a long time as they silently held each other's gazes.

"I am sorry Knight. I truly am." The King said.

Tears silently streamed down Knight's cheeks and he bit his lip to prevent himself from breaking down.

"Damn it…damn it…" Knight said as he lowered his head, "damn it all."

XXXX

Knight returned to his home, a few hours later, to find Katsumi keeling by the large pool of water-lazily tracing the tips of her fingers across the water's surface. The paladin paused and silently watched his wife, marveling at her ever present beauty while also wondering how he ever deserved someone like her. It wasn't long before Katsumi noticed that her husband had returned and she stood to greet Knight as he walked over to her.

Inwardly, Knight was glad Takeshi wasn't around to see what was about to happen.

"You're back late…did everything go well with the King?" Katsumi asked.

Knight didn't answer, he simply took Katsumi's hand into his and gently rubbed his thumb in a circular motion across her palm. Soon enough, the ghostly image of the Yin and Yang materialized above their hands; the symbol of their union as husband and wife.

"Knight…what's wrong?" Katsumi asked as she gently cupped her husband's cheek with her free hand and made him look at her.

"…Do you remember how we first met?" Knight asked, his voice sounding detached.

Puzzled, Katsumi chose to answer.

"How could I forget? Aquarius accused you and Lance of trying to peek at her and Aries at the hot spring when all you had really done was make a wrong turn in the woods. She was aiming for the both of you but Lance dodged at the last minute. You on the other hand were blasted so hard with that jug of water that you were sent flying across the realm. You eventually landed in my special spot."

"That waterfall at the edge of the realm." Knight said with a slight smile, "You were meditating under the water when I nearly landed on top of you. I tried to explain what had happened but you panicked and kicked me right into a cluster of trees before running off."

"Can you really blame me? You were some yahoo who came tumbling out of the sky and scarred me half to death. Of course I would panic; who wouldn't?"

Both husband and wife smiled at the memory.

It was the next day that Knight returned to the spot where he had met Katsumi to properly apologize to her and explain that it had been one big misunderstanding.

He was promptly kicked again.

So he returned a third time…but Katsumi had been expecting him. Rather than kick him again, which Knight was thankful for, Katsumi let him put in his two cents and explain himself. Katsumi begrudgingly forgave Knight…after she gave him a kick for good measure, however.

Regardless of this rocky start, Knight found himself intrigued by the water spirit. She was different from the others…she was quiet but confident in her abilities. And to Katsumi, the same applied to her in her view of Knight. There was something about him and there was something about her that attracted the two together.

Soon, casual talks and meetings developed into a friendship. And after a time, their friendship had developed into what they could comfortably call love. The rest as they say, is history.

But Katsumi wondered what spurned Knight to ask this of her.

"Why are you asking me this?" Katsumi wondered.

Knight was silent before sighing deeply, his aura changing to that of both remorse and dread.

"I love you and Takeshi with all my heart…and I would do anything to protect the two of you, you know that right?" Knight asked.

"What's wrong?" Katsumi asked, her body tensing slightly.

"…Something is happening to me Katsumi. Something I cannot stop without drastic measures being taken."

"What do you mean something is happening to you?" Katsumi asked. A chill of dread that matched her husband's suddenly began to crawl up her spine.

Something was definitely wrong.

"It concerns what happened to me last night…why I acted the way I did." Knight said as he held his wife's gaze…which in turn silently urged him to continue.

"Months ago Katsumi, I secretly terminated my contract with my human masters…because for too long I had let their greed poison who they were. However, even though the contract ended, I myself did not make it out unscathed. I had spent too much time with them as their greed and lusts for power poisoned them…and it in turn has poisoned me."

"…What?" Katsumi asked, not really understanding what Knight was telling her.

"I'm becoming corrupted by that greed Katsumi…a darkness is taking hold of me…and I am powerless to stop it."

"What!?" Katsumi gasped, "Corrupted…I…Knight, I don't understand!"

"A darkness is starting to gain control of me Katsumi. It has started in my arm and it is slowly reaching at my soul, trying to gain control by squeezing all of the light out of it."

Katsumi's eyes had widened considerably and she frantically searched Knight's eyes to see if there was any deceit in what he was saying; that he was playing some sort of sick joke.

She found none.

"C-can this be stopped? Does the King know about this?" She asked.

"Aye." Knight replied and Katsumi felt a smile form on her lips.

"Then…there's hope! If the King knows of this corruption then surely that means he knows of a way to help you!"

Knight sighed deeply and shook his head.

"The corruption has spread too far for the King to use his magic's on me…there is no current way to stop the corruption."

Katsumi faltered at hearing this.

"But…" Knight said.

"But what?" Katsumi said.

Knight let go of Katsumi's hand and gently grabbed hold of her shoulders, firmly keeping her in place.

"Knight…tell me, what else can be done to stop your corruption?" Katsumi said firmly as she brought her hands up to frame his face.

"There is a long term solution that can be enacted by the king…but it is a desperate measure none the less."

"Long term? What do you mean?" Katsumi asked.

Knight took a shaking breathe. This was the part he had been dreading.

"The corruption uses my own power against me. It twists and bends me to its will until I become some creature of darkness; a toy for it to control. In order to prevent this from happening, my power must be sealed away; _I_ must be sealed away. Once this occurs, the corruption will no longer be able to feed off the energy…and it will slowly wither away and die, back into the oblivion that spawned it."

Katsumi blinked at this and licked her lips, a pensive smile forming.

"T-that's it…that's all there is to it?" She asked.

Knight didn't answer her.

"For how long then? If the corruption needs to die off, certainly it can't be that long. A year at the most then, is that what you're trying to say?"

Knight shook his head.

"No." Knight said, his tone low.

"Then…two years?" Katsumi said.

"No."

"A decade?" Katsumi said, her tone becoming agitated.

Knight didn't answer her, he instead kept his head lowered.

"Damn it Knight; how long!?" Katsumi said, unable to take her husband's silence.

"…Until the right time." Knight finally replied.

"What?" Katsumi whispered.

"Until someone pure of heart, love and courage can find me. Until both time and fate decide to guide my true master to me. Someone, who's soul burns so brightly that it will reignite my own soul and purge any lingering darkness from it."

"B-but that could be anyone!" Katsumi protested, not believing what she was hearing, "Knight, it could be hundreds if not thousands of years before that happens!"

"I-I know." Knight choked out.

Katsumi couldn't comprehend what her husband had just told her. He was basically saying that he was going to be locked away forever until someone eventually found him wherever he was going to be sealed away. For all he knew, he would never be found and-

"No!" Katsumi screamed trying push away from Knight in protest, "I won't allow it!"

Knight held firm.

"Katsumi…" Knight said, trying to calm his wife.

"Do you realize what this means!? I'll never see you again; Takeshi will never see you again!"

Tears streamed from both of their eyes.

"Katsumi…" Knight said, his voice dripping with grief.

"There has to be another way! I refuse to let this take you away from me! I refuse; I REFUSE!" Katsumi screamed as she pounded her fists against Knight's chest.

She refused to lose Knight and all that they had built together.

She refused to let her son lose his father.

Knight swiftly pulled Katsumi into the tightest embrace he had ever given her. She struggled, if only for a moment, before her hands slowly returned the gesture as pained sobs wracked her body.

"Don't do this," Katsumi sobbed and pleaded all at once, "Knight please don't do this."

"I'm sorry…but I have no choice." Knight said, his voice becoming strained.

"There has to be another way…there has to be..." Katsumi sobbed.

Knight gently, but with shaking hand, ran his fingers through his wife's hair.

"Katsumi, it's either this…or I break my own keys." Knight said making Katsumi's sobbing increase as her grip tightened to him-as if he would disappear right then and there.

"And if I do that, then I will forever be lost…right now, sealing me away is the only guaranteed path that will allow me to return to normal. I have to take the chance."

"It's not fair…it's not fair." Katsumi croaked.

Knight pulled back and rested his forehead against his wife's, both of their eyes meeting each other. He then made the Yin and Yang appear once more as he held up her hand with their fingers intertwined.

"So long as this mark remains, I will forever be yours. We will always be together, even though we will be apart. Do you understand? We will always be together."

The Yin and Yang began to spin slowly…gently.

"We are two halves that have been united as one. We balance each other out and therefore are bound together. Two spirits…one soul…understand?"

Katsumi swallowed hard but nodded in understanding.

"This isn't goodbye Katsumi. I will see you and our son again, this I can promise you. We are immortal. We have all the time in the world. And one way or another, we will be reunited."

"Do you promise?" Katsumi asked.

"I promise. As a Celestial Paladin and Guardian to the Celestial Spirit King himself, I give you my word."

Knight's oath did little to assuage her anguish, but Katsumi knew Knight's words to be true. For when he made a promise, he kept it; no matter for how long.

Knight pulled Katsumi into the deepest kiss he had ever given her and held her close before breaking away, letting his mouth rest next to her ear.

"I promise." He muttered.

"I promise."

XXXX

_**Two days later…**_

The time had come for Knight to be sealed away.

Stoically, the last Paladin stood in full armor-minus his mask which hung from his hip-with his wife and son as the Spirit King addressed all of the assembled celestial spirits. The King explained the full story what was happening to Knight; how his bond with the human spirit was unfortunately allowing him to be corrupted…how if the corruption wasn't destroyed, he would forever become an abomination.

Many of the Spirits were shocked beyond words at what their King had told them. Others rebelled against the idea of Knight being sealed away and taking his chances at fate. Like Katsumi, they protested that a better way to save Knight existed.

But the King denied their outcry's with an equally heavy heart.

"There is no more time," the King had said, "had this come to my attention at an earlier, I would have been able to purge this darkness from Knight. But that is not the case. We are left only with this option."

A depressed air filled the room and many spirits lowered their heads in sadness.

"This is much my decision as it is Knights. He is fully aware of the risks involved with this undertaking. He is prepared for what the consequences might entail."

The King sighed deeply and looked about the throne room.

"Knight is too valuable a spirit to be lost in such a manner as this; both as the last Paladin and as a beloved friend. I'm sure there are many of you who would gladly give your life for the spirit next to you…or the ones you love. This is Knight's battle and he must see it through to the end."

A hushed series of agreements arose from the Spirits. The King then looked to Knight.

"Capricorn is waiting in the human world with his master. After the sealing ceremony has been completed, I will send you to the human world. From there Capricorn will make sure you are put somewhere safe until the appropriate time arrives. He will however, erase the memory of this event even occurring…so as to prevent you from falling into the wrong hands and hiding your location. Remember, we must leave it to fate to play her part in all of this."

"I understand my lord." Knight answered.

"Then let's begin." The King said, raising his hands-palms flat-over the reflecting pool. He then began to utter a spell that was barely audible to the ears. Soon enough, the pool began to glow and crackle with magic energy.

"Say what you must but do not linger…for I cannot maintain this spell for long." The King said.

Knight didn't answer as he and Katsumi kissed once again. Their fingers remained intertwined as they tried to hold onto each other for as long as the kiss would allow them. But, eventually, they had to break away.

"I'll wait for you." Katsumi said, tears on the brimming in her eyes.

"And I will keep my promise." Knight replied.

Slowly, Knight began to walk way, his fingers still lingering with Katsumi's. He then felt someone latch onto his leg. Looking down, Knight swore right then and there that his heart was on the verge of shattering.

Takeshi held onto his father in a desperate attempt to stay with him. The boy looked up at his father as he sniffled past his tears. His throat was choked up to the point that he could only manage a paned whimper.

"I have to go Takeshi." Knight said, his own voice straining.

Takeshi shook his head defiantly.

"Takeshi…" Knight said as he pulled Takeshi away, kneeling down so that they were eye to eye, "I'm…Daddy's sick…and I need to go away for a long time so I can get better."

"Why…can't you stay here with mama and me?" Takeshi croaked.

"No buddy…I can't. If I stay, I'll just get even sicker. And then I won't be able to stay with you or mama again."

"It's not fair." Takeshi said past his tears.

"I know son…I know. But I will tell you this; I will come back. And when I do, I'll be all better and stronger than before. But until then, I need you to be a big boy and look after mama for me. I need you to be brave…and I need you to be strong. Can you do that for me?"

Takeshi nodded and wiped his tears from his eyes. Knight gently pulled his son into a hug for what may have been the last time he would get a chance to do so.

"That's my little warrior." Knight said, pulling back and summoning his sea shell necklace. He then pulled the string over Takeshi's head, letting it fall to the boy's shoulders.

"This is yours now…so that I'll always be with you." Knight explained.

"Knight, it's now or never." The King spoke up.

Knight sighed deeply before releasing his son to Katsumi. Knight rose and donned his mask before walking over and onto the pool, stopping at the center.

Knight took in a deep breath and steeled his nerves. He then closed his eyes.

"I am ready my king." Knight said.

The Spirit King's chanting resumed, this time louder and more firm. The pool glowed brighter and Knight found himself wrapped in tendrils of magical energy. Soon enough, the light flared to blinding levels until it seemed as if a hundred suns had come to life in the throne room. But just as quickly as the light appeared, it faded away. In Knight's place, two key's had appeared. One was made of the purest sterling silver while the other was made from white and blue diamond. The two keys, once they were combined, formed a shield with two crossed swords behind it.

The Spirit King lowered his hands and then clapped them together twice. The keys fell from their suspended animation and through the portal where an awaiting Capricorn on the other side caught the keys and gently set them in a velvet lined stone box. With Knight securely in tow, Capricorn and his master set out on their task.

And all the while, the spirit world watched as one of its greatest warriors was hidden away.

"It is done," The King said, "now, all we must do is wait for fate to play her role. For it will be her judgment that will allow Knight to be returned to us.

XXXX

And so it was that the last Celestial Paladin was sealed away from all that he knew in a desperate act to not only protect himself but the ones he cherished most.

It would be a long dreamless sleep for Knight as the years passed by. As time moved on, so did the rest of the world. Knight and his brothers faded from memory and into legend…they became the focus of tales that recounted a long lost time and age. They became the heroes of bed time stories meant to entertain children.

Days turned into weeks.

Weeks into months.

Months into years.

And years into decades.

And through it all, fate held her hand-waiting for the right time to play her cards. For over three hundred and ninety-eight years, fate waited for the chance to play her cards.

But fate, ever the patient mistress, could wait.

Until one day, the time arrived. She could finally play her hand. The cards she once held were tossed onto the table of life and as many know, when fate deals her cards, she does so in the most unexpected ways.

And on one hot summer afternoon in the year X794, Knight was awakened from his long dormant slumber.

On that day…his tale truly began.

XXXX  
>AN: Well ladies and gentlemen, what do you think? A new story has begun and I'm just getting warmed up with this one.

I hope I'm off to a good start for this story because this took me two weeks to crank out and I don't want to disappoint anyone with this. Especially the people who enjoyed my original story that this coincides with.

Now before you guys say anything about Pisces having names, let me put it this way; I did not want to constantly be calling them "the mother" or "the son" all the time. Hopefully the backstory I created, and the excessive amount of creative liberty I took, explains itself on my decision to name the mother Katsumi and the son Takeshi. In actuality, through some research I did, I found out that Katsumi and Takeshi in Japanese mean "Victorious Beauty" and "Warrior". So the names are fitting, in their own way, for Pisces-wouldn't you agree?

As for updates with this story, I'll be honest; it'll be on and off. My college classes take up the majority of my time and my education is my top priority. I also work a part time job with hours that change every week and to top it off, I am currently balancing out two other stories…or attempting to.

I hope you guys will bear with me and be patient with this story like you have before. That's all that I ask.

Hopefully my schedule won't tie me up too much and prevent me from doing any of this.

Next time; CHAPTER 2: A rude awakening

As per usual, if you guys have any comments or questions, please put it in your review and I'll make sure to respond to you in the next chapter. If you have anything else that you wish to ask me or clarify, you can PM me and I'll do my best to respond ASAP.

Until next time; read, review and most importantly of all, HAPPY READING!


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Hello everyone and welcome back! Sorry for the very long delay but as you know I have been very busy with college, Christmas, and I was working on some other stories which I have since posted; hence the delay for this chapter.

Needless to say, it has been a little rough for me recently balancing everything out but luckily I haven't burned my brain to a crisp yet…I hope. As much as I enjoy writing, my studies take top priority so I can't devote all my time to writing…much to my chagrin.

Still, I seriously appreciate you all being patient with me when it comes to stuff like this.

So, last time we all learned about Knight and the reason for why he was locked away for so long. But now, its time for him to wake up as fate plays her cards.

Oh, and the dialect for used in a part of this chapter is Latin. Just in case anyone was wondering.

So, before we get into the thick of it, here is a shout out to those of you who reviewed:

_**ashfrenzy: **_Hello there, I'm so sorry for the long delay with this story. I am very happy to know that you enjoyed the first chapter so hopefully this will make up for the delay. Thank you for being patient with this story, I really appreciate it.

_**ichihime4:**_ Hello there, how are you? As always, it's always nice to see a familiar name in the review box. I'm glad you like what's been done so far and there will be more to come when it comes to Knight and his journey. Sorry for the delay so hopefully this makes up for it.

_**Mistwing:**_ Hello there, long time no see; so sorry for the lengthy delay. Don't feel bad…it's been two months since I updated this! I'm the one who should feel bad! I'm glad you like the story so far, there will be more to come, I promise.

_**Serena fullbuster: **_Hello there and welcome to the story, nice to see you again. I'm glad you like the story so far. Like Kids, there will be more to this story than you think.

And now, ladies and gentlemen; let's continue our story…

XXXX

CHAPTER 2: A rude awakening

XXXX

_**398 Years Later…**_

_**X794; Central-Western Mountains of Fiore**_

XXXX

Darkness.

That's all that he knew; all that he had known for what seemed like an eternity.

An ever-present darkness and a sense of weightlessness dominated his senses.

He was drifting in a dreamless sleep…neither here nor there.

Darkness…that was all that he knew.

And then there were the memories…oh the memories, of what seemed a lifetime ago, gently slipping away but returning just as he reached the point of despair.

Memories of loss and pain. Brotherhood and camaraderie. Duty and honor. Love.

He remembered the love. He remembered it so vividly that it was almost tangible.

He remembers _her_.

The smile of the beautiful woman whom he had fallen in love with, the love as they embraced on the day of their wedding, the warmth of her soft skin against his as they lay on cool grass, the love and the joy as she tells him she is with child.

The child…_his son_. He remembers the love for his son.

The unquestionable love of holding the newborn in his arms as he instinctively curls close to his father. The joy and pride at seeing him take his first steps…at hearing his first words. The comfortable feeling of him sitting on his shoulders as they watched the nighttime sky.

He remembers them…his wife and son. But they are just memories now. Memories that have filled his mind during his long sleep.

Memories that have filled the darkness.

And then suddenly, as if materializing from the void itself, a voice enters his ears; a jovial giggle. It is a woman's voice; a voice that is both sweet and sultry in amusement.

"_It is time."_ The honey laced voice whispers in his ear, _"At long last, your time has come."_

He finds his voice, surprised that he can use if after having not for who knows how long.

"Who…who are you?" he asks and receives another giggle in response.

"_Who I am,"_ she says, _"is not important…but I know who you are."_

And then he feels rather than sees a pair of hands gently but slowly run up his back, across his shoulders and lazily cross under his chin. He can see the ghostly image of hands and arms, wrapped in an elegant form of cloth. If this is a ghost than how can he feel them, he wonders?

"_Astral projection,"_ the woman hums sensually in his ear as if she had read his thoughts, her breath hot against the skin, _"but that doesn't matter now."_

She giggles again.

"_Oh, I have long-awaited this day. The day your true master finds you and pulls you out of this pathetic slumber. The day you awaken."_

"I...I don't understand." He says.

An amused sigh.

"_Worry not…for all shall be made clear soon enough."_

She flicks her wrist and a hand of cards appears in her lithe grip.

"_It's time to wake up Celestial Paladin." _She coos_, "It's time to wake up…_Knight_."_

There was a flash of light, so powerful and radiant that he thought it would surely blind him from its intensity.

And then a voice called out, this one different from the one before.

"Open gate of the Celestial Paladin!"

XXXX

_**Then…**_

The day, for Lucy Dragneel-formerly Heartfilia-had started out good.

It was a bright and sunny July day, with not a cloud in the sky as she had awoken that morning in the apartment she and her husband, Natsu, shared.

The two mages of the legendary Fairy Tail guild had been married for three years now, with their anniversary coming up in the fall. The two had wed in the autumn of X791, long after the events concerning the battle with the Dark Guild Tartarus and the defeat of the dark mage Zeref.

For both Natsu and Lucy, too much had been lost during that whole debacle; mainly in the form of Lucy losing her treasured Celestial Spirit and friend Aquarius while Natsu was forced to deal with the loss of his adoptive father/dragon, Igneel-who had died protecting Natsu from what would have been a fatal attack from the demon E.N.D.

Natsu and Lucy themselves had even come close to losing their lives on more than one occasion and for the two friends, it had been one too many close calls.

As things had settled down, the two friends had spent considerably more time together than they usually had in the past. Their bond, which had always been strong, seemed to have strengthened further and it wasn't long before Lucy had decided to answer her feelings for Natsu-which she admitted to always having-much to her embarrassment. Natsu's response had been a simple one: _"Sure, why not? We spend most our time together anyway so what's the difference?" _

And now, three years later, they were-in every sense of the phrase-happily married, or in dragon slayer terms; mated.

But, as noted, these events all lead back to the current date and time for which Natsu and Lucy had awoken in their apartment.

XXXX

Lucy had made breakfast, with a little help from Natsu and Happy (their resident friend/exceed) like she usually did and the two discussed what they wanted to do for the day.

Lucy had wanted to work on her novel-which was almost complete, Happy wanted to go fishing before going to visit Carla at Wendy's apartment, while Natsu wanted to run to the Guild to see if there were any jobs available. It wasn't the fact that they needed the money, more for the fact that it was always better to have a little extra in case they needed it.

Lucy found herself agreeing with her husband and accompanied him to the Guild. While Natsu scoured the job request board for anything that caught his fancy, Lucy had caught up with the majority of their friends. Lucy noted that some of the main members of the guild were not present and had questioned her best friend, Levy Redfox, about it.

"_Well…"_ Levy had begun as she looked to the bar that was being tended by Wendy and Laki_, "Erza is out on a job this time while Jellal is at home with Senna. Gray is at home with Juvia-poor little Jenny got sick again, Laxus is out running some errands for Mira and Selina, and Elfman is also running a job while Evergreen stays home with Kaito."_

Lucy sighed with a small smile on her face, thinking of her friends and their children. Erza and Jellal had tied the knot in X792 and were blessed with a beautiful, healthy baby girl in early X794. Gray and Juvia had gotten married roughly around the time that Natsu and Lucy had but had had their first child in X793.

It had been no surprise that Elfman and Evergreen had gotten together around that time as well. Despite their best efforts to try and hide their relationship, it was not a real secret that everyone in the Guild knew about the two…but had played along anyways. Kaito, had been born in the spring of X793 and it had taken forever for Elfman to calm down about his "Little MAN!"

The wedding that had taken everyone by surprise had been that of Mirajane and Laxus after Mira had revealed that she was pregnant. The thing was, no one had known that the two S-Class mages were together and the fact that Mira and Laxus had kept it a secret for so long had floored the majority of the guild. But regardless, eight months latter Laxus and Mira were given a baby girl of their own.

All in all, everyone was happy.

There was peace and people were looking forward to the future.

"_The future."_ Lucy had thought as a wistful smile formed on her lips.

"_What's on your mind?"_ Levy had asked.

"…_Just thinking, maybe I should talk to Natsu about starting a family of our own." _Lucy had said and Levy nodded slowly, biting her lip.

"_G-Gajeel and I-I are already t-trying." _Levy admitted with a blush…which increased due to Lucy's teasing.

XXXX

It was then that Natsu had returned to the girls, telling Lucy that although that it was not an official job, he had found a flyer about a rumored spot for treasure. There was no guarantee of a payoff and Lucy was dubious of such a place existing but Natsu had convinced her otherwise (damn him and those puppy dog eyes!).

Happy decided he would stay behind this time around and visit Carla, who had finally decided to give a relationship with Happy a try. The white cat wouldn't openly admit it, but she cared for her blue furred companion…maybe even liked him.

So, after buying a train ticket, the husband and wife had made their way to the central western mountains of Fiore where they stopped at a small farming community. Asking around, an old timer explained that the flyer was true but it was made to entice treasure hunters to look around rather than have some professional take a look at the place. In fact a fairly large group of treasure hunters were somewhere up on the mountain now.

When questioned about what exactly the location was, the old man had explained that it was a massive shelter that had been built into the mountain and was used heavily during the dragon civil war for humans to hide and plan their battles against the dragons.

The place was abandoned after the war ended but legends persisted that there was a variety of treasure hidden deep within the mountains somewhere. However, no one from the town had ever dared to venture into the mountain; local legend claimed that something special was hidden away in there…and that it was never to be tampered with.

The old man had also explained that there were supposedly two entrances leading into the mountain; the main door and the back door. The treasure hunters had went to the far side of the mountain to go through the back so the old man advised Natsu and Lucy to head in through the front, giving them the necessary directions.

Both Natsu and Lucy had thanked the man for his help but were dubious to believe that there was something hidden away in the mountain, playing it off as superstition. With nothing left to lose, they had hiked their way up to the mountain. The entrance, to the underground settlement, wasn't that hard to find. Despite being weathered down and filled with over grown vegetation, the pathway was long and winding at the edge of the nearby forest. After an hour and half of walking, the mages found themselves at flattened area that led to the mouth of a large cave, the mountain shadowing it from above. Making an improvised torch with his fire magic, Natsu and Lucy entered the cave.

At first it appeared like any other cave, filled top to bottom with stalagmites and stalactites, and the occasional bat or two. But the further they went back, the more they noticed the cave turn from natural to manmade. The walls evened out, the pattern of brick and tile could be seen and age old burns in the rock indicated where torches once burned. An archway appeared out of the gloom, vast and high, and Natsu and Lucy realized that what the old man had said about an entrance was true.

A series of wide and winding steps carved into the rock had been found shortly after; nothing but darkness leading before the mages.

…And so down and down they went.

Natsu and Lucy were surprised by the size and scale of the place. The mountain, as it turned out, was hollow on the inside but naturally supported on all sides by the frame of the mountain. Large crags in the mountain side allowed beams of sunlight to filter in and cast away the darkness of the hollow.

And in the center of it all was vast cavern which lead into a black abyss below, while platforms and manmade outcroppings had been carved deeply or extended out into the sides of the rock walls. A rushing waterfall of crystal clear water plunged all the way down into the darkness from beneath the structures and into the darkness.

Natsu let out a low whistle at the size of the hollow and it was a long time before it died off in the void.

With no sign of the treasure hunters, the husband and wife checked the available rooms of the structures. Most of the dwellings were abandoned but there was a plethora of perfectly preserved pottery and metal works lying around. For an archeologist it would be a gold mine but for Natsu and Lucy-mostly Natsu-it was all just "useless crap."

Leaving the dwellings behind them, the duo had made their way around a bend that led to a platform…and walked headlong into the treasure hunters. They were a large group of thirty men and women, all heavily armed and surprised to have run into the mages.

Startled, the leader of the group, a woman named Mordred, had demanded to know what the mages were doing at "their claim."

Natsu and Lucy had tried to assure Mordred that they meant no harm and did not have the intention of scaring them or taking anything they had found. But Mordred, convinced otherwise, had order her group to attack the mages. Things were even further complicated when Mordred noticed that Lucy was a Celestial Spirit Mage; her gold keys instantly giving her away. Knowing that the keys were worth something fierce, Mordred had also ordered that Lucy be taken alive. As for Natsu…she didn't particularly care.

Now, taking on the group would have been easy…had it not been for the fact that treasure hunters made liberal usage of high explosive magic grenades. The explosives had a short fuse and when they went off, they did so in a spectacular if devastating fashion. Natsu and Lucy were kept on their toes, not really managing to attack.

And then it happened.

The combined blast from two grenades had caused a terrific explosion which had knocked Natsu and Lucy off their feet and sprawling in opposite directions. While Natsu was sprawled out on the floor, Lucy had tumbled to the edge of the landing. She only came to a stop when she found herself dangling from the ledge; her fingers gripping desperately at the stone as her nails dug into the rock. But her palms were sweaty from the fighting and she quickly lost whatever grip she had on the stone as she found herself sliding further and further off the edge.

One of the treasure hunters had tried to grab her but they were too late as Lucy finally lost her purchase and went falling down into the abyss below.

Her screaming and desperate calls for Natsu followed her all the way down.

XXXX

_**Now…**_

With a tremendous crash, Lucy plummeted into the ice cold water at the bottom of the hollow. She had no time to catch her breath before hitting the water and sinking deeply; her lungs screaming for air. Under the dark but clear water's surface, Lucy desperately flailed about as she desperately tried to regain her bearings.

Slowing her movements, Lucy realized that she was swimming down and not up. Had she not regained her senses, she would have possibly continued down…and eventually drown. Righting herself and kicking and pulling up with all her might, Lucy breached the surface of the water with an explosive gasp.

Fresh, wonderful air filled her lungs…but it was a short lived reverie. It took Lucy a moment to realize that she was moving. The large, deep but angled pool she had landed in was quickly pulling her to the edge of a water fall.

Lucy tried to frantically swim as fast as she could from the lip of the falls as the water rushed over the side, but she was too close, and the pull of the water took her over with it. Lucy screamed again and was more fell down deeper into the hollow of the mountain. This fall wasn't as bad, she hadn't fallen as long as before, but the shock of the water had provoked a similar reaction from Lucy.

Once again breaching the water's surface, Lucy found herself in another pool as she began to tread water. The ebb, flow and pull of the water was gentler here and Lucy saw that it led into an underground river. But right now, she could safely collect herself.

Looking up, Lucy could barely see the light from where she had initially fallen. How she had survived a fall of that nature, she had no clue but she would take her miracles where she could get them. Now, in the cold water of the cavern pool, Lucy found that the only light afforded to her were a series of luminescent blue and green crystals deeply embedded into the rock.

Knowing she had to get out of the water lest she suffer hypothermia or turn into something's lunch-heaven only knew what lived in bottom of these pools-Lucy searched for a way out of the water. She was rewarded when she spotted a man made outcropping in the water, similar to the platform she had fallen off. Quickly swimming over and heaving herself up onto smooth, polished stone, Lucy fell to the floor in a heap-cold and tired.

But despite her condition, she didn't stay down long. She pushed herself up and onto her feet.

"Natsu," Lucy said aloud, "I need to get back to Natsu."

She then looked up the way she'd came, cupping her hands to her mouth.

"NATSU!" Lucy called out, her voice reverberating up and out the cavern.

Nothing.

"NATSU; CAN YOU HEAR ME!?" Lucy called out again.

Still no response.

"Perfect," Lucy grumbled in annoyance, "I'm too far down for him to hear me…if he can hear me. I hope he's alright."

Lucy absentmindedly rubbed the left side of her neck; right where the muscle connected the shoulder and neck together. Her fingers grazed over two faint but deep scars-the scars where Natsu had bit her to mark her as his mate.

The bite had bonded the two for life and even though she could barely sense it, she felt Natsu's presence in the back of her mind…letting her know that life still coursed through him.

God, she hoped he was alright; she couldn't stand the thought of losing him.

Quickly shaking the treacherous thoughts from her mind, Lucy took a more thorough look of her surroundings. The platform she was on was large and may have at one point served as an underground dock for small boats or a place for whoever had once lived here to get fresh water.

A long, winding path was nearby and led up.

But the path, a way up and out, was not what caught Lucy's attention. She hadn't noticed it before, since she was too busy trying not to drown while swimming to safety. Towards the back wall of the platform was a cylindrical stone dais, bathed in a gentle glow of natural light. And resting atop it, was a small, stone box.

Curious, Lucy approached the dais and box. The light came from a manmade opening in the roof of the cavern. The opening cut all the way through the rock at a perfect ninety degree angle and let the light from the outside world cascade all the way down to the dais.

The box, Lucy observed, was made out of stone and had been down in the cavern for quite some time, given the heavy coating of dust that covered it. Her curiosity still piqued, Lucy gently wiped the dust off the box and Lucy was rewarded with a symbol and inscription.

The symbol was of two crossed broadswords with three, five pointed stars arcing above it and another three arcing below it.

The inscription itself, Lucy noted, was of an old language; a dialect that she had only seen in some particularly ancient books that were housed at the royal archives in Crocus. She didn't know what the words meant, but that didn't stop her from silently mouth the words to herself:

_Unitas, ubi virtus et gloria. Fortitudine dolar. Pacem adductum. Custos sum lux; ego sum a Paladin._

"What do you say, I wonder?" Lucy mused as she gently ran her fingers across the inscription.

And then it happened.

As if the mere contact of her fingers had stirred something within the box to life, the words on the box glowed to life and manifested over the box like a blue hologram, causing Lucy to stumble back in shock. Hidden runes and carvings of similar color appeared in the dais and flared to life as they wound their way to the floor where a triple ringed magic circle had come to life.

Lucy gasped slightly as she watched the inscription begin to flicker and change to her fit her natural, modern tongue. The new inscription read:

_Unity, Valor, Honor. Strength through brotherhood. Peace through force. I am a guardian of the light; I am a Paladin._

"_Paladin?"_ Lucy though, _"What on Earthland is that?"_

The rings of the circle began to rotate clockwise, counterclockwise, and clockwise as Lucy felt a familiar sensation tingle across her skin. It was the same sensation she got whenever she called upon the Celestial Spirits.

The sensation was that of a Celestial Spirit magic.

"What?" Lucy asked in confusion, "Can it be?"

Lucy slowly stepped towards the box once more and gently rested her hands against the smooth surface of stone that made the box.

"Yes…" Lucy said in awe, "there's no mistaking it."

Within the box was a Celestial Spirit Key…and a powerful one at that.

Carefully, Lucy stepped back to the box and placed her hands on the side of the lid, gently pulling up as she did so. It took a bit of effort since the box had been sealed up for who knew how long but with a little effort, the lid popped off with a slight "hiss."

Looking into the box, Lucy saw that the velvet lining on the inside looked brand new; there was no sign of aging or decay. And resting in the center of the box were a set of keys.

"Beautiful…"Lucy whispered in awe.

The first key was made of the purest sterling silver while the other was made from white and blue diamond. The two keys, still combined, formed a shield with two crossed swords behind it.

"I've never seen Celestial Spirit keys like these before," Lucy said, "I wonder how they work."

"Well, well," a voice said from behind, startling Lucy with a gasp, "looks like she survived her tumble after all boys."

Before Lucy were three treasure hunters from the group Natsu and Lucy had encountered. They varied in appearance and height but they all had one thing in common; they were heavily armed.

The first hunter wielded a large axe, the second carried a spear and the third carried a rather nasty looking sword that resembled a meat cleaver.

The first hunter licked his lips and grinned a sly grin.

"And it also looks like she's in one piece too, the boss will be pleased to see this. I wasn't so sure when the boss sent us to go after her, seeing as how she might be splattered all over the place, but the boss loves them spirit keys."

The third hunter gave Lucy a dark leering, grin.

"Although, there might be some internal damage that we'll have to check out right?"

The other two seemed to consider this for a moment before making similar grins.

"Right you are man, right you are."

Lucy curled her nose up in disgust, firing off a glare of her own, as she unhooked her whip from her belt.

"Stay back!" Lucy said, "I'm warning you!"

"Oooh," the second hunter leered, "kinky."

The first chuckled in amusement.

"Well what do you know?" He said, "Looks like miss kitty cat is going to put up a fight. Heh, at least she ain't turning out like that pink haired fire breather."

"Natsu!" Lucy whispered before raising her voice, "What have you done to him!?"

The hunters cackled in obvious amusement.

"The idiot tried fighting us off but he tripped and face planted right onto the rock." The third said, "The damn idiot knocked himself out!"

Lucy felt a large sweat drop forming on the back of her head.

"_Yeah, that sounds like Natsu."_ Lucy thought, slightly embarrassed.

"But he won't be causing us any trouble since the boss slapped a magic cancelling collar on his neck and tied him up tighter than a python squeezing." Said the second.

"But it appears you're not going as quietly."

Lucy stood her ground.

"I am a mage of Fairy Tail; I've fought worse than you creeps." Lucy said taking a defensive stance Natsu had taught her, "You creeps don't scare me."

"Fairy Tail, eh?" The first leered, "Well then, let's see what all the hype is about you guys then!"

Before Lucy could react, the first hunter had brought his axe to bear and had tossed it at Lucy in hopes of striking her down or making her move to a more vulnerable spot.

But the attack never came.

Lucy could only watch in surprise as the axe was stopped midair when a magical barrier flashed to life in front of her and deflected the axe away from her, causing the weapon to shatter to pieces.

"WHAT!" The hunter gawked in shock at the loss of his weapon.

The barrier remained and Lucy noticed that the magic circles beneath her feet had stopped spinning; the runes and patterns within their borders having aligned with each other perfectly. A pulsating light out of the corner of her eye drew her attention to the box and much to her surprise, the key was glowing.

_Do not be afraid_, a voice whispered in her ear, sweet and gentle, _the spirit of this key shall not harm you._

"Who's there?" Lucy said aloud, her attention fully focused on the key.

_It does not matter who I am,_ the voice said, _all that you need to know is that the spirit within this key has been waiting for you. _

"What?" Lucy said.

_He has slept through the ages waiting for the day to be awoken from his slumber and your arrival has heralded his return._

"I…I don't understand." Lucy said, her confusion evident as the angered protests from the hunters went ignored.

_Fear not my dear, for all shall be made clear in time. Right now, you are in quite the predicament wouldn't you agree?_

The voice laughed gently almost in a carefree manner.

_I know who you are Celestial Spirit Wizard; I know the power you command. This spirit is both great in power and in heart. If you awaken him, he will help you; he will give you the power to save the man you love._

"Natsu." Lucy whispered, "I…I need to get back to him; to help him!"

_Then pick up the key and summon your magic's. Open the gate of the Celestial Paladin and call forth the Warrior of the Spirit World. Awaken him, give him the call to arms and let his tale begin once again._

Seeing no other option, Lucy outstretched her hand to the glowing key.

_Let his power become yours as much as his will be to you._

And then the voice faded away.

Her fingers wrapping around the crystal and silver, both cool to the touch, Lucy took the key out of its box and channeled her magic into the celestial key.

"I hope this works." Lucy said.

Unlike her gold and silver keys, Lucy found that this new key absorbed much more of her magic than the other sprits. Just what in the world was in her hands? Soon enough, however, Lucy felt the familiar tingle in her fingers letting her know the spirit was ready to be summoned.

She took a deep breath…and then raised her hand.

"Open gate of the Celestial Paladin!" Lucy called out.

There was a flash of brilliant light and rather than the vibrant chiming of a bell that was synonymous with the known Celestial Spirts, this key let out a deep tolling that reverberated deep into Lucy's chest. From within the light, in a series of quickly reforming particles, a figure appeared parallel to Lucy.

And Lucy gasped in surprise.

He was tall, wore what appeared to be a special set of armor with a flowing cape, with natural grey hair tied into an equally spikey ponytail. Affixed to his arm was shield of great size and a broadsword was sheathed at his hip. His face was hidden behind a mask with a "V" shaped visor.

But even though he appeared to still be coming out of whatever sleep he had been in, Lucy could feel the magic radiating off of this new spirit. He was strong, very strong.

Slowly, the hands at his sides clenched and unclenched, the bones popping and cracking beneath the armor. He inhaled, a gentle, smooth sound and he raised his head from its lowered stance. Behind the visor, a pair of dull blue eyes flickered to life. The eyes blinked once and then twice before the spirit began to finally become aware of his surroundings.

He looked at his hands first, unclenching them and then clenching them again, before looking around the cavern that had been his home.

"How long…" the spirit spoke, his voice coming out with a metallic ring from his mask, "…have I been asleep?"

He then became aware of the human in front of him. He looked down to Lucy, his head cocked to the side in a curious manner as if he were studying her.

"Girl…" he said calmly but with firmness to his voice, "what day is it? What year?"

Before Lucy could answer, her attention was drawn back to the treasure hunters.

"WHAT DID YOU JUST DO!?" The first raged.

"Oh to hell with the questions, let's just take our keys and kill the wench!" Cried the second.

Still angered from the loss of his weapon, the first hunter charged forward intent on rushing Lucy…something that would prove to be a very fatal mistake.

Lucy gasped, making to grab her whip once more but the new spirit pivoted on his heel and stood with his back to her; shielding her as his eyes narrowed.

When the hunter was within range, the spirit swiftly raised his shield and backhanded the hunter away; the heavy shield on his arm making a hefty "CLANG" and was accompanied by a sickening "CRACK". The hunter was tossed into the nearby wall where he stuck to it just for an extra second, before falling to the floor; his neck bent at an odd angle.

"NO!" the second and third hunter cried out in shock and anger at the loss of their comrade.

"YOU BASTARD!" the second said as he hefted his spear up and tossed it at the spirit…who was quicker, however.

The spirit snapped his right hand out, light glowing around it. From the hand, a beam of concentrated light was fired which in turn vaporized the spear in midflight, the arm of the hunter that had tossed it, before stopping at the other end of the cavern in an explosion of rock.

Before the second hunter could even cry out in pain, a dinner plate sized hole was blasted through his chest when the spirit delivered a follow up shot. He fell to his knees and then forward, never to rise again.

The third hunter, enraged by the loss of his two companions, wildly charged forward; his cleaver sword ready to strike. The spirit took a series of steps forward to meet the wild man…which was promptly followed by a shower of sparks and the cleaver was cut in two while the hunters head rolled off his shoulders.

Lucy gasped in shock as she watched the spirit lower his outstretched arm, still from its horizontal strike, with his sword in hand. The spirit looked at his sword, flicked his wrist in a manner that expelled the blood from the blade and calmly sheathed the weapon.

He regarded the body at his feet for a moment, before calmly turning and walking back to Lucy. Lucy stood stock still in shock as the spirit approached her; his stoic and commanding demeanor ensuring her silence. The spirit looked down at Lucy and relaxed his shoulders.

"I will ask you again; what day and year is it?" The spirit repeated his question from before, seemingly ignoring the fact that he had just butchered three people.

"I-It's J-July seventh…X794." Lucy stuttered out.

"X794." The spirit said, his tone that of disbelief. He then sighed deeply and lowered his head in resignation and looked to his left hand, slowly closing it into a fist.

"X794…" The spirit muttered as he clenched and unclenched his hand, "I've been gone for so long…how much has changed in my absence?"

"Excuse me," Lucy said, snapping the spirit out of his stupor, "but who are you…and how long have you been down here?"

The spirit looked to Lucy, crossing his arms as he did so.

"My name is Knight…and I am a Celestial Paladins."

"Celestial Paladins?" Lucy said, her brow knitting in confusion, "I've never heard of you and none of the other spirits have never mentioned you as well."

"I'm not surprised," Knight said with a slight chuckle, "considering I am the last of the Paladins. It appears that in the three hundred plus years that I've been gone, my brothers and I have fallen into obscurity. As for why my fellow spirits have never mentioned me…well, I suppose that they never told you because you never asked and never were told."

"Three hundred years!?" Lucy exclaimed.

"Did I stutter?" Knight said, his voice flat.

"N-no, sorry…I'm just surprised that's all."

A silence befell the two.

"The last?" Lucy said, surprised at this news as Knight nodded.

"Indeed." The spirit replied.

"Who…what are you?" Lucy asked.

"As I said, I am a Paladin. A warrior of the Celestial Spirit World, charged with protecting the Spirit King and enforcing the law of the Spirit World in the human realm. Well…that was my duty in another life. Now I am not so sure since it has been so long."

"_Guardian to the King and the Spirit World."_ Lucy thought, _"I can understand his explanation for not knowing…but I can't believe I was never told about these spirits."_

"You said you are the last of these "Paladins"," Lucy said, "what happened to your brothers."

"Once there were twelve, now there is me." Knight said, "My brothers and I fought in the Dragon Civil War…and it claimed their lives as such. They fell, upholding the duty and honor we had been entrusted with."

"The Dragon Civil War." Lucy said in awe before realizing the meaning behind Knight's words.

"I'm…I'm so sorry."

"So am I." Knight said, his tone saddening slightly, "So am I."

"…Why were you down here for so long? I mean, something extreme must have happened for you to be placed down here, I mean."

"It is a long story, one which I shall be able to explain at a later time. But the short story is that due a series of circumstances, I found myself being corrupted by a terrible darkness that I could not escape. In order to prevent it from fully taking over me, I was sealed away to ensure that the darkness could be eliminated. I was to wait…until fate guided my true masters to me…and rekindled the light of my spirit."

"Wait for your true…" Lucy said as her words slowly died off in realization. She then pointed to herself.

"You mean me?" Lucy said, eyes wide.

"So it would seem," Knight said, "but I did not say master, as in one. I said masters, as in two."

"Two?" Lucy said, "You need two people to summon you!?"

"Yes," Knight said, "I share a unique connection to the human soul. That connection gives me strength and allows me to tap into my full power. In my life, I have had six masters. The first four died in battle and the other two I broke my contract with."

"What? Broke your contract?" Lucy said, "I don't understand."

"Something I will also explain later…but not now. The important thing right now is whether or not I deem you and whoever you're with worthy of being my masters. Fate led you to me, so I should assume that this meeting of ours was destined."

"Natsu!" Lucy said, remembering that her husband was still being held captive.

"Natsu?" Knight replied, "Is he or she your compatriot?"

"He's my husband!" Lucy said as she ran her fingers through her hair in distressed matter, "We came her looking for some rumored treasure but we stumbled across some treasure hunters. They freaked out and attacked us."

Lucy looked to Knight in pleading manner.

"Please, you have to help me free him!"

Knight was silent for a moment before nodding in understanding.

"If that is your wish," Knight said, "I will honor it."

Knight then kneeled down on one knee, hands resting on his knee and head bowed.

"Until I can confirm that you are to be my master, until I can confirm that both you and your husband are worthy of such a title…I am yours to temporarily yours to command."

"Thank you." Lucy said, her tone relived.

Knight rose and regarded Lucy again.

"It seems that in all this excitement…I have forgotten my manners and did not ask for your name when I gave you mine."

"My name is Lucy," Lucy said, "Lucy Dragneel…formerly Heartfilia."

"Lucy Dragneel," Knight said, testing the words on his tongue before bowing his head, "I am honored to make your acquaintance…and thank you for awakening me."

"Y-you're welcome." Lucy said, slightly embarrassed by being treated with such formality.

"Now then," Knight said as he looked to the pathway that led up, "let's go find your husband…and a way out of this desolate place."

"Right." Lucy said, before her brow quirked for a moment.

"By the way…what magic was that? That light you made earlier."

"Simple; it is light." Knight said, "I specialize in light magic. I can harness the power of the light and bend it to my will. I can use to either protect or destroy. My power and burden as it would seem."

Knight then looked to the top of the cavern.

"So let us move from the shadow and into the light."

XXXX

Mordred paced back on forth at the entrance to the cave. Occasionally, she would look at her wristwatch and then to the cave, an annoyed grimace marring her lovely features.

Mordred was a tall woman, with a fit athletic build and curvaceous frame. She had sharp features, cold brown eyes and sandy blonde hair that she kept tied into a simple knot. She wore a leather jacket with the sleeves rolled up her forearms, fingerless gloves, a black tank top and tan cargo pants which she kept tucked into a pair of laced up boots.

Although she appeared to look like any other woman of the rustic sort, the broadsword she kept slung across her back and the grenade bandolier across her wait dissuaded any notion that she was some average woman.

She didn't get to where she was, the leader of regionally known treasure hunting group, simply based on her looks.

"Where are they?" Mordred said as she turned to one of her subordinates, expecting an answer.

"Those idiots should be back by now. They can be incompetent but they're not that incompetent."

"Why you looking to me?" The man said with a hapless shrug, "I ain't in there with them so how can I give you an answer?"

Mordred rolled her eyes with an annoyed grunt.

"So long as those idiots bring me back those key's I'll forgive them for screwing around."

"What about the spirit mage?" The man asked, "And her companion?"

"Those three can do whatever they want with the bitch, I don't care." Mordred said, before looking to a now conscious-but bound and gagged- Natsu who thrashed about on the ground.

"As for the fire breather, he's one of those Fairy Tail mages…which means we can get a hefty ransom for his release. So long as we keep that collar on him, he won't cause us any harm."

"Mmmph!" Natsu said past his gag, "Mmmph, mmmph!"

"Oh shut it already." Mordred said, simply walking over to Natsu and giving him a solid kick to the ribs.

"Leave him alone." A voice suddenly echoed out from the cave, making Mordred and her hunters turn to the entrance.

"Who's there!?" Mordred said, motioning for her hunters to take up fighting positions at the mouth to cave.

"Show yourself!"

"As you wish." The voice replied as a powerful magical aura reached the senses of all present. Soon, a figure appeared from the gloom and the hunters found themselves gawking in surprise as Knight emerged into the sunlight with Lucy staying close behind him.

Knight slowly observed the assembled hunters before closing his eyes and tilting his head back as if he could feel the warmth of the sun through his mask.

"It has been too long since I last tasted fresh air. Too long since I felt the warmth of the sun. What a wonderful day it is." Knight said to himself, ignoring the treasure hunters.

"Hey!" Mordred snapped, "Who the hell are you!?"

"And now," Knight sighed in resignation, "it's ruined."

The spirit then leveled his now open eyes back to Mordred; the twin glowing blue orbs now taking on an annoyed flint.

"Hey, I'm talking to you!" Mordred said as she unsheathed her sword.

"I am well aware of that." Knight said, "But whether or not I acknowledged you is another matter."

"What?" Mordred hissed.

Knight then looked to where Natsu lay, the dragon slayer now still as he looked from Knight to Lucy.

"Lay down your arms and release the mage," Knight said, pointing to Natsu, "and I will let you all leave with your dignity."

The hunters openly laughed at Knight upon hearing his demand.

"You can't be serious. Who are you to jerk us around!?" Mordred cackled, "If anything, I'm the one who will be making the demands."

"Are you so sure of that?" Knight replied, moving his hand to slowly grip his sword.

"Hell yeah." Mordred said, "After all, we hold the numbers here; not you. Hand over the pretty bitch and that fancy sword of yours and we'll call it even."

"That's not going to happen." Knight said as slowly unsheathed his sword.

"I will not repeat my demands. You will either accept them or die…just like the three who came before."

"Three who…" Mordred said before her she suddenly realized what Knight was saying. The three she had sent after Lucy, we're dead.

"Take him down!" Mordred yelled, "Both of them!"

Her hunters moved to attack in the same manner that they had done to Natsu and Lucy. Many lobbed their grenades at Knight who quickly pulled Lucy down with him into a crouch as he raised his shield.

The magic explosives detonated in a cacophony of blasts and smoke quickly filled the area.

"Frig." Mordred said, "Now those keys are probably ruined. Oh well, they asked for it."

"That was a most unwise decision." A voice said from the now clearing smoke.

"What!?" Mordred said in surprise as the smoke revealed Knight and Lucy still crouched but protected by a semitransparent dome of glowing light.

"My turn." Knight said as stood from his crouch, dissipating the dome but still shielding Lucy.

Knight snapped out his left hand as runes glowed on his shield. A concentrated beam of energy was fired forth from Knight's hand and blasted the ground to his left, sending a group of mages sky high. He then darted forward, away from Lucy with his sword held low, into another grouping of hunters. He simply spun a three sixty, sword moving a in a series of arcs and spins and the hunters were cut down in no time.

"Kill him!" Mordred raged, "What are you idiots just standing there for!? Kill him!"

Knight looked to Mordred and the group near her. Focusing on the hunters, Knight's eyes flashed once and he quickly disappeared in a series of glowing particles of light.

"Teleportation." Knight said, his voice fading off with him.

Just as quickly as the spirit had uttered the incantation, he reappeared behind the group of hunters. Before any of the hunters could react, they quickly fell to Knight's blade or were battered with his shield.

And when the last one fell, all that remained was Mordred…who quivered in anger.

"Y-you…bastard!" Mordred said through gritted teeth.

"Don't think that insulting me will do you any good." Knight said as he sheathed his sword, "I've been called every obscenity that has been uttered by the human tongue. Your words mean nothing to me."

Mordred snarled as she watched Lucy run from her spot and over to Natsu as she helped him with his gag and bindings.

"Damn wench." Mordred hissed.

"Lucy!" Natsu said, elated to see his wife/mate unharmed, "Thank Mavis you're alright!"

"I could say the same for you, you big dummy." Lucy said as she kissed Natsu.

Knight looked from the husband and wife and back to Mordred.

"Leave." Knight said firmly, "Now."

"Bite me." Mordred said as she primed a grenade. She thumbed off the safety pin and lobbed it at Knight and the Dragneel's.

Knight's right hand snapped out and promptly blasted the grenade in midair.

Mordred used the distraction to her advantage and charged, sword raised.

"Light Magic," Knight said, "Prism."

Knight's body suddenly flickered, his image distorting like the sheen seen on glass before he disappeared entirely. Mordred slid to a halt in her charge as she looked this way and that for the now vanished spirit.

"Where'd he go?" Natsu said in confusion.

Even with his enhanced dragon slayer senses, he found it hard to get a solid lead on Knight.

Mordred, for her part slowly turned in a circle with her sword held close as she searched for Knight.

"Where are you?" Mordred muttered eyes narrowed, "Where are you?"

A blur of movement out of the corner of her eye, like the shimmering of air when heated, caught her attention. Before Mordred could so much as react, she found herself knocked back by a solid punch to her ribs. For a second, Knight flickered back into existence but just as quickly disappeared. Mordred pushed herself up and swung her sword wildly at where she had seen Knight only for her wrist to be caught, her arm snapped out and twisted; hard.

Mordred's sword fell from her grip as the woman cried out in pain. She was then lifted into the air and tossed onto her back, her arm relinquished. Mordred groaned as she tried to push herself up, only to be violently knocked down as Knight reappeared; his boot planted firmly on Mordred's chest.

Knight unsheathed his sword and leveled the tip with Mordred's neck.

"Do you surrender?" Knight said, his tone firm.

Mordred glared in defiance.

"Do you surrender?" Knight said again, teeth clenched as he pressed the tip of his blade into Mordred's neck.

Mordred looked to the blade and then to Knight.

"I surrender." Mordred said and Knight stepped off of her, turning his back to the treasure hunter and walking away.

"Leave." Knight said, "And never return to this place. In fact, let me never catch you again. Because I won't be as forgiving as I have been today."

Mordred quivered in anger. This spirit had just killed off her entire crew and had single handedly humiliated her. That was something she couldn't forgive. She would make that bastard and those two mages pay for what they had done to her.

Unclipping the last grenade from her bandolier, Mordred stood, pulled the pin and counted to three. She then tossed the grenade at Knight in a way one would toss a baseball.

"Look out!" Lucy cried out in panic as Natsu moved to shield her.

Sword still in hand and spinning it so that the flat side of the blade was facing the ground, Knight spun around; his sword raised.

He had expected Mordred to pull such a stunt but he didn't believe she was stupid enough to go through with it.

He swung his sword out in a manner one would swing a baseball or cricket bat and with a sharp "CRACK" hit the grenade back to Mordred. The woman only had time to make a surprised gasp when the grenade returned to its sender and detonated.

When the smoke cleared, all that remained of Mordred was a small, smoking crater. Knight spun his sword around his hand once and sheathed it, shaking his head as he did so.

"Imbecilic to the last." Knight said as he turned back to Natsu and Lucy.

"Here," Knight said, holding up his index finger, "let's get that collar off of you."

Placing his finger to the mechanism and filling it with hard light, taking the shape of the required key, Knight easily popped the lock and the collar fell from Natsu's neck.

"Thanks," Natsu said as he hugged Lucy, "for everything."

"You are welcome." Knight said with a slight bow of his head, "I presume you are Natsu Dragneel?"

"Yeah." Natsu said, and then looked to Lucy, "Say Luce, who is this guy?"

"Natsu, this is Knight," Lucy said, "I found him at the bottom of the cave when I fell down there. He's a special Celestial Spirit."

"A Celestial Spirit?" Natsu said in awe.

"Indeed." Knight replied, "And we have much to discuss, you two and I."

XXXX

And so Knight explained to both Natsu and Lucy the circumstances that led to him being locked away in the cave; his role as a Paladin and bond to humanity, his wife and son-Katsumi and Takeshi-the beginning of his corruption and him being sealed away.

The dreamless sleep he had drifted through as he had waited for his true masters to find him.

Which now appeared to be Natsu and Lucy.

"So…you mean to tell me that Pisces are not just a spirit but your wife and son?" Lucy said, her surprise obvious.

"More or less, yes." Knight said, "It has been some time since I last saw them…I expect much has changed."

"I guess it would have." Lucy said before quietly adding, "I never knew it was possible for sprits to have children. I'll have to let Yukino know about this."

"Forget about that," Natsu said in excitement, "we have our own spirit now Luce; do you know how cool this is!?"

"That remains to be decided." Knight said, drawing the two's attention.

"What do you mean?" Lucy said, "I thought you said that since I found you and freed you, since Natsu and I are together, that you are our spirit now."

"I am well aware of what I said Lucy Dragneel." Knight said, "But I must confer with my King first and let him pass his judgment on whether or not it is right for me to choose you two."

"I'm sure the King will give you the okay," Natsu said, "We're friends with him after all."

"Whether you are or not is none of my concern." Knight replied, placing his hands on his hips.

"Doesn't it come down to your choice regardless?" Lucy asked.

"Yes," Knight nodded, "it will be my final decision on whether or not I trust you with my power."

Natsu and Lucy looked nervously to one another.

"So…what happens when you meet with the King?" Lucy asked.

"I am not certain. There will be much for us to discuss before I pass my final judgment." Knight said.

"It is imperative that I return to the Celestial Spirit World immediately." Knight said and gestured to the keys in Lucy's hands.

"Hand one key to your husband while you keep the other Lucy." Knight said, "Combine the two and release me from this realm."

Natsu and Lucy looked to each other. Natsu shrugged and took the silver half of the key while Lucy kept the blue and white crystal half. They did as Knight had instructed and the combined key glowed…along with Knight. Motes of light enveloped him as he soon began to fade from the human realm.

"For now," Knight said, "return home. I will return to you two when I have casted my decision."

"How?" Lucy said, "Won't we have to summon you again?"

Lucy got the impression that Knight was smiling behind his mask.

"Believe me," Knight said just before he disappeared, "I have my ways."

And then he was gone.

Natsu and Lucy looked to the keys in their hands and then to each other.

"Do you think he'll come back?" Natsu asked.

"…I…" Lucy said as she gently closed her fingers around her half of the key, "I don't know."

XXXX

And as Knight left the human realm and crossed the bridge to that of the Spirit World, he found himself returning to a place that he had once thought he would never see again.

A place that would undoubtedly be both foreign and familiar.

Home.

He was returning home.

XXXX

A/N: Well ladies and gentlemen, what do you think? This took me a while to work on but I was finally able to crank it out for y'all.

Once again, I'm sorry for the lengthy delay but I've been super busy because of the holidays and what not. I know I promised that I would update my other stories soon but it looks like not as soon as I would have liked. Most likely, it will be after Christmas when I get back into writing. I'm just busy, that's all.

I hope you guys will bear with me and be patient with this story like you have before. That's all that I ask.

Next time; CHAPTER 3: Homecoming

As per usual, if you guys have any comments or questions, please put it in your review and I'll make sure to respond to you in the next chapter. If you have anything else that you wish to ask me or clarify, you can PM me and I'll do my best to respond ASAP.

Until next time; read, review, happy reading and most importantly; MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR!


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